What goes in to a bike service?

Today, I took my bike in to Lunar Cycles to discover what goes in to a bike service. Something that has always been a bit of a mystery to me. This is the service frequently used bikes should have at least once per year.

Lunar Cycles charge £65 for this service. Alternatively, for £80 they will also supply a new set of cables. Beyond this, I also needed new handlebar tape and I wanted to take out the bottom bracket to see if it solves some knocking sounds coming from the bike.

I need to stress here that a service from Lunar Cycles is very thorough, experiences may vary depending on where you take your bike. However, this should be a helpful guide.

Stripping components off the bike

The first stage is to remove the components off the bike.

This is when we discovered some of the bolts on the front chainring were loose. This can sometimes be the source of creaks.

We also discovered some water in the frame once the bottom bracket was removed. This can cause problems. The water probably got in via the bottle cage bolts that were missing.

Cleaning the bike

Components such as the chainring are then thoroughly cleaned using degreaser.

Inspecting the bike frame

Some rust was also discovered on the bike frame so that was promptly dealt with. Once the rust had been scraped away, a clear satin polyurethane was added on top to prevent more air getting to the rust.

The frame is then polished using Miracle Shine. This is definitely not something most bike shops would do but it adds a great touch and protects the frame.

Refit components

With the frame looking shiny, the components are refitted to the bike.

Once it has been greased the bottom bracket is re-installed. This was an extra from the service I had requested.

The chainring (or chainrings depending on your bike) are then added and tightened. Along with the crank arms.

The pedals are then greased and firmly tightened in to position.

As part of the Lunar Cycle service, wheels are also trued and, this is really special, they are also plucked to check the tension is spot on.

With the brakes re-installed they are then toed in slightly by placing some sandpaper towards the back of the brake. This should keep them running silently.

Finally, the chain is lubricated using Prolink and the seat post is greased.

Overall, I’ve been really happy with the very comprehensive service at Lunar Cycles. It was nice to be able to observe exactly the work being done so that you get an appreciation of quite what goes in to it. The end effect is that my bike rides better than it ever did!

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Comments

Torque wrench is always used at Lunar when required. With a “vintage” single speed build like the one depicted there are no specified torque settings. In cases like this, “experienced hands make bike work”.

All mechanics use different practises. While I was in there I was told some people debate whether a chain stretches (it definitely does) there’s often not a right or a wrong answer when it comes to bicycle maintenance (another classic example is people using WD-40 as a lubricant). In this case, if you want to be extra safe then removing the inner tube is a good call but it’s unlikely the spoke would go through the rim tape for the small adjustments that were needed.

With regards to truing the wheel with the tyre and tube in place: This could only possibly cause a puncture if the wheel been trued had a single walled rim as opposed to a double walled rim which the wheel in the picture above has, The spoke and nipple sit in a recess in the rim and therefore nowhere near the tyre and tube. Also if the spokes are at a danger of puncturing the tube then they are probably too long in the first place as the spokes should not protrude from the end of the nipple.

I took out a three year maintenance contract with Halfords down the road. You are right: different mechanics have different practices. Breaking the rear axle and not properly tightening the replacement appeared to be Halfords’ practice.

why stop brakes from squeaking – it’s the only noise to which a pedestrian acts appropriately, and doesn’t get annoyed. Bells are too quiet against traffic, and young pedestrians don’t know what they mean, while old pedestrians have too much high frequency hearing loss to notice them. Air Zounds work – boy, do they work – but are unsporting

when trueing a wheel it’s good to “de stress” the spokes. If you wind a spoke up, by adjusting it, that is like winding up a spring, and the result is that the spoke likes to unwind itself and undo all your good work. You destress a wheel by leaning it against the bottom of a wall, at 45 degrees to wall and floor. Then put one hand on each midair bit of the wheel. and lean your weight on the wheel. That will take the stress off some of the spokes, allowing them to spontaneously unwind themselves without losing their new adjustment. They will make alarming creaking noises while doing this. Turn the wheel a bit, and repeat, to destress a few more spokes, and carry on untill there is no more creaking

SANDpaper??!! What’s going on there? (Nb in woodwork it’s usually actually glass paper, in a metal workshop you’ll find emery cloth or ‘wet and dry’). Maybe I’m being picky but I wouldn’t especially want an abrasive material wedged between the brake pads and rim – even for setting-up. A bit of card from the packaging the blocks came from was ‘standard’ I thought – or else card from a healthy cereal box